Chemtrix specialises in the design and implementation of continuous flow reactors for challenging chemistries. By combining engineering and chemistry expertise, the company has developed a range of small-footprint flow reactors for mg-scale reaction screening, through to multi-tonne industrial production. Chemtrix recently marked 15 years in operation, and CEO Charlotte Wiles told Hannah Barnett what the company has achieved so far – and where it intends to go next.
Ch emtrix’s technology allows chemicals to be produced in a safe and sustainable way. Rather than performing reactions in a batch vessel (as is the industry standard) in flow chemistry, a chemical reaction is performed as a continuously flowing stream. Pumps carefully meter reagent streams and the reaction takes place within the flow reactor under precise thermal control.
“It means you've got flexibility over how much you produce based on how long you run the process for, rather than increasing the size of your batch vessels,” said CEO Charlotte Wiles.
“We can increase the process safety, reduce operating costs, reduce energy usage and, overall, reduce the amount of waste associated with performing chemical transformations.”
A decade and a half Chemtrix BV was incorporated back in March 2008, establishing headquarters in the Netherlands. Its base in Geelen allowed the company to to be close to launch customers in the speciality, fine chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
According to Dr Wiles, the entire industry has evolved substantially since then: “The biggest shift over the last 15 years has been the development of the technology from what was initially thought of as a research curiosity into what's now a maturing technology used for manufacturing across the world.”
Chemtrix seized the opportunity to start developing equipment suitable for customers who had an R&D question to answer. But as flow chemistry became embedded in R&D labs, larger equipment was needed, and the focus shifted to the
development of scalable flow reactors for industrial manufacturing.
“In the early years, companies were hesitant to develop in flow if there was not a way exploit the technology to access larger quantities of material,” Dr Wiles recalled. “The key milestones for us were going from milligrams to kilos, and then kilos to the first metrictonne. And when you can make a few 100 tonnes a month, you realise you've got a portfolio of equipment that allows people to trust in the technology.”
A sustainable method
“Though exact reaction parameters vary from process to process, typically you need pumps, a reactor and a heating (or cooling) unit. Any complexity beyond that depends on the process, but we routinely employ process analytical tools (PAT) from our partner Mettler Toledo to give real-time monitoring of the process(es),” said Dr Wiles.
“Because of the increased mixing and thermal efficiency, a continuous flow production system has a footprint of a few square metres, which is considerably smaller than a typical multi-purpose batch plant.”
Batch processes require large tanks that must be heated up and cooled down; a more time consuming and less sustainable method than that favoured by Chemtrix. “The nice thing about a flow reactor is you maintain its temperature, reducing the peak loads on your utility system and reducing the overall heating or cooling capacity required,” as Dr Wiles put it.
Chemtrix is also looking into developing further sustainable solutions through the use of photochemistry, a branch of science concerned with the chemical effects of light.
“Our existing equipment is directed towards reducing energy usage, high atom economy and lower waste generation,” explained Dr Wiles. “but
we are now also looking towards what we can do by bringing light into devices. And we are researching whether we can use that as our energy source to further improve the products we have available.”
Securing the supply chain
Following the disruption created by borders shutting during the Covid pandemic, companies and governments alike are pushing towards decreased reliance on external sources – and flow chemistry has started to come into its own.
“Companies are looking towards securing their supply chains for key raw materials,” Dr Wiles said. “That's been our biggest area of growth. It started preCovid, but the pandemic accelerated the conversation about local manufacturing, which was one of the target concepts we had as researchers over 20 years ago.”
As with any successful business, Chemtrix also places value in its own supply chain, and in forging long-lasting
partnerships. “Sustainability of our relationships is key,” said Dr Wiles. “We look for an equally balanced partnership, where we can bring something to the table, and in return get something that fills our knowledge gaps. We find that being open and collaborative has been central to building not only our relationships with our customers, but also relationships with our suppliers.”
Dr Wiles stressed the benefits of working with local suppliers where possible and cultivating an atmosphere of collaboration rather than competition: “We think it's important –from an OEM component supplier, all the way through to an engineering partner – that we have a collaborative way of working.”
An example of collaboration in action comes in the form of Chemtrix’s partnership with Flowid. The latter is also a continuous
equipment manufacturer focusing on flow solution provision and system integration, and is based nearby, in Eindhoven.
“By working together, we provide a much bigger offering to our customers, working together to reduce the barriers to entry for a customer,” explained Dr Wiles. “
The future of flow chemistry
Dr Wiles was candid: the biggest challenge the company faces is overcoming the conservative nature of the chemical industry. She explained this means competing with already established infrastructure: “If a company has a large asset that is not being fully utilised, no matter how good an alternative solution is,
the company will always choose to use the existing depreciated asset.”
As a result, Chemtrix is intent on growing the flow chemistry market as a collective. I n 2024, it will organise the third edition of the Flow Chemistry Pavilion at the Achema tradeshow. “We're looking at around 25 to 30 flow chemistry providers being present within the pavilion,” Dr Wiles said. “By standing together as a community, we show that we're not competing with each other: we're competing with the old way of working.”
Recent ICH Q13 guidance published on continuous manufacturing is another step in the right direction. The guideline describes scientific and regulatory considerations for the development, implementation, operation and lifecycle management of continuous manufacturing. “The guideline goes some way towards demonstrating how the technology is maturing. It is a strong signal from the regulators and will give compa -
nies a lot of confidence,” said Dr Wiles.
It is clear that the past 15 years are just the beginning for Chemtrix: but what next?
“Our objective is to continue doing what we're doing, and doing it well,” concluded Dr Wiles. “Whilst the technology’s adoption continues to grow, we are clear that we don't aim to replace every batch tank. This is a complementary technology that will co-exist alongside batch infrastructure; and as it matures our knowledge about where it adds value will continue to increase.
“We embrace curiosity, and challenge companies not to stick to the status quo. Start questioning why you do something a certain way: half the time you'll find it’s simply because it’s always been done that way. There’s a lot still to be improved on, even for established processes. So we encourage people to ask questions, and continue to push boundaries to see what’s possible.”
